Sign Up for Drop Shipping, Then Expect Explosive Sales
“What if a lot of people order gift baskets at the same time?”
“How do I handle all the work?”
That dual question is frequently asked in classes and at trade shows after my demos or presentations. The questions are valid, as I know more than a handful of designers who went from no sales to mega orders, especially around the Christmas holidays.
These questions also reveal the fear of success. You start a business to become your own boss, control your destiny, and bring joy and comfort to other people’s lives. But those goals come at a cost. You’ll have to:
- Cut ties with full-time employment.
- Create a dedicated workspace possibly outside of your home.
- Hire temporary or permanent help to handle big jobs.
It’s enough to make your head spin. So why not keep working for someone else so you don’t have to make these decisions? Come one, that’s not what you want.
Thankfully, drop shipping firms are a comfort during the transition, picking up lots of the slack so your business appears much larger than it is.
Drop shippers not only take a lot of the designing and shipping off your hands; they also provide a broad range of products, such as cheesecakes and flowers, items you want to offer but can’t store in your inventory.
It’s wise to consider membership with a drop shipping firm now before the holiday season arrives. Many drop shippers won’t allow you to join between October and December, which is their busy season along with yours. They order enough product to accommodate their members, not to assist designers who suddenly realize they need help.
If you’re not familiar with the services drop shipping companies provide, click here for a video introduction to gift basket drop shipping and to learn more about who they are and what you can expect when working with them. Also available for more insight are a drop ship report and 60-minute CD interview with an industry expert.
What’s stopping you from drop shipping? Explain your dilemma in the comments area, and let’s iron out this problem now so that you’re prepared for explosive sales.
How Does Gift Basket Drop Shipping Manage Growth?
Did you know that the art of making and promoting gift baskets can become so successful for some designers that it nearly keeps them working around the clock?
That’s what almost happened last year to three designers. Their individual businesses began growing faster than they could handle.
Each of them asked me to review their business plans and help control the growth before they went out of business from exhaustion.
I suggested several solutions, one of which was adding a drop shipping option for times when business became too hectic to manage.
First, they listened to the recording between Emmitt Holtzclaw of Gift Marketing Alliance and me where Emmitt explains how drop shipping grows and manages sales without buying additional products or hiring more staff. Emmitt provides a wealth of examples on the 60-minute CD, which you’ll read about at the bottom of this page.
In the end, two of the designers incorporated drop shipping while the other added a partner, another alternative I mentioned to each of them.
I’d like to know about your experience with drop shipping. How has it helped your business?
Two Great Gift Basket Stories in the News
Gift basket articles are plentiful on the Web through media sources that are constantly searching for designers to interview now that the holiday season is here.
Here are two citings to stories that may be of interest to you.
My hope is that the article links added below are still be available online when you read this.
Company Adds Person Touch to Gift Baskets, an article from NewsAdvance.com in Virginia, interviews a designer in business for just under 20 years. The insightful point in this story is that she decided to work with a drop shipper this year.
Here’s her quote about the partnership:
“This year, I decided that with the economy, maybe we could do more business without having to stock thousands of items.”
You’ll find a video about working with drop shippers on this page.
California’s MyDesert.com interviewed the owner/designer of Gift Baskets and More in a snapshot article revealing details about the year started, number of employees, and costs.
One point I’m glad to read is that the designer not only wrote a business plan before starting but also reviews it regularly. This is a tip I stress in the book, How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business.
Here’s what she says about her plan and pricing strategy.
“I update it every quarter. For instance, in this current economic climate, I lowered my price points to meet my objectives.”
It’s not too late to send your local media details about your business to encourage promotion. If you’ve already contacted the media, what did they say or Email about writing your story?
How a Drop Shipper Rescued a Gift Basket Business
“Why didn’t I think about working with drop shippers before?”
That’s what one designer asked me during our weekly problem-solving discussion.
This designer, who’s based in a Midwest state, learned from her city’s officials that although she is able to operate a gift basket business, there are certain products that she cannot sell.
This problem goes much deeper than the traditional wines, alcohol, and home-baked items we’re familiar with being on the “can’t buy” list.
The two of us started reviewing each drop shipper on the vendor’s list you’ll learn more about here, and we were able to find two drop shippers that solve her creation and delivery problems.
Finding these firms was vital to her success, as she already had an order for 642 gift baskets from four local firms that decided to place early holiday orders in exchange for a nominal discount.
No way did the designer want to return the full, up-front payments she received, and now she doesn’t have to. In fact, she won’t need as much space as previously thought for designing since the two drop shippers are taking care of one third of her orders.
I’ve recently received orders from long-time clients working in three industries, and for other companies that I cannot assist, I’ve introduced them to several local gift basket designers, two who work alone and one with a small staff.
All three have drop shipping accounts, so they can handle my referrals, which will earn each of them a third of the total $150,000 order.
A new video all about gift basket drop shipping is available on the Drop Shipping page.
How do you plan to handle the overload that’s surely on your way in a matter of weeks?
Why It’s Time to Start Drop Shipping
After speaking with Emmitt Holtzclaw, president and CEO of Gift Marketing Alliance, about how his firm elevates gift basket businesses into a brand new category of excellence, he nearly convinced me to re-enter the industry full time.
When my business opened in 1990, everything revolved around what I purchased, designed, delivered, and service provided to clients after the sale.
This is still true for most of us, but never did I imagine that joining ranks with a gift basket drop shipping firm could open so many doors of opportunity.
Customers who order gift baskets will also require cookies, cheesecakes, and bouquets. What happens when you cannot deliver these goods?
1. Customers go elsewhere.
2. They give someone else the sale.
3. You are considered a “gift basket retailer” rather than a “gift solution specialist.”
Why let clients go to another firm for their non-gift basket gift items when a drop shipper makes you the one and only person they call or Email every time a gift is needed?
I could go on, but Emmitt spilled all of the details on a one-hour CD we recorded yesterday.
Wednesday’s Basket Biz newsletter featured the call information and a deadline of Thursday for ordering the CD, but this is so important for you that I’m extending the pre-order pricing.
Until Sunday, the Drop Ship Report and CD interview with Emmitt are available for just $47. You can order through this link.
If you want to increase your business and sales without the hassle of ordering lots of inventory, this information is for you. Best of all, it’s not hype; it simply makes sense to let another company handle all of the details while you make money.
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